Through the four games of his senior season, Wayland High School quarterback Mikey Johansson has connected on 67% of his passes. And his completion percentage a mere three years ago on the freshman team? How about 0?
“I really stunk probably until my sophomore year on junior varsity,” Johansson said. “I was surprised how terrible I was. I was not good at football for a while.”
He explained that during his sophomore year, the starting quarterback was suddenly forced out after a few games due to mono, so he was thrust back into the starting role.
“I think I matured a lot and that had a lot to do with me improving,” he said. “I was nervous, scared out of my mind [during my first game]. But it helped me realize that when I played with kids my age it wasn’t as nerve-wracking.”
Johansson’s improvement has caught the eye of the WHS coaching staff, too.
“He’s come a long way from his freshman year and we love how he’s playing football in his senior year,” said head coach Scott Parseghian.
The difference is even evident in the early going this year compared to last year. In his junior season, which included starting the final seven games, he passed for 1,320 yards (108 for 203), with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. Already this season for the 4-0 Warriors, he’s 37 for 55 for 650 yards with nine TDs and three interceptions. His rushing numbers are also impressive, with 106 yards on 14 carries, compared to 202 yards on 64 attempts for the 2-8 Warriors in 2025.
“We love having that dual threat,” Parseghian added. “We know he can throw but now he’s running, too. We thought we had it last year but we weren’t quite sure. Now we are.”
Two plays early in the season have shown exactly what the WHS coaching staff have in the 6-foot-3, 190-pound Johansson. During the second game of the season, a 35-0 victory over Hopkinton, he scrambled for 60 yards for a touchdown. Then, on the first play of a 35-14 win at Ashland the following week, he moved around the pocket to avoid the rush to allow senior running back Brajae Walton to get downfield and open before throwing a 60-yard strike for a score.
“[The pass to Walton] was him showing his maturity and belief in his offensive line,” Parseghian said. “[Mikey] playing last year has helped him succeed this year and take it to the next level.
“He really understands our offense. If we make a bad call or the wrong call, he can correct it on the field. That’s what you want out of a QB. He understands the concept of each play. Everything good you want to say about a QB, Mikey is doing it.”
In addition to Walton, wide receiver Aiden Curry and the offensive line of Teddy Richter, Hayden Rice, Jack Naughton, Sterling Sole, Alex Gelper, and Trevor Rosser have had a huge hand in Johansson’s success. Johansson also credited wide receiver Joe Dearden on a key block on his 60-yard scoring run.
“The reason these plays happen is that our guys go above and beyond what is expected of them,” said Johansson, who had to convince his parents to allow him to play tackle football in the eighth grade after four years of flag football. “We have so many guys we can rely on. Everyone is contributing to the success of the team.”
Johansson noted that being a pitcher on the Warriors baseball team has aided in his success. He explained that his arm is loose and ready for fall football after toeing the rubber in the spring, as well as playing summer ball.
It’s been a tremendous turnaround for both Johansson and the Warriors, who doubled their wins from a year ago in less than half of the season.
